Motivational Interview with Kevin Bracy

Listen to this interview I conducted with "The Epitome of Motivation", Kevin Bracy.

Get inspired as we talk about his rise to prominence as an internationally recognized speaker, how to discover and develop your talent, and the importance of investing of yourself.

My Interview with Kevin Bracy

Listen to this interview I conducted with "The Epitome of Motivation", Kevin Bracy.

Get inspired as we talk about his rise to prominence as an internationally recognized speaker, how to discover and develop your talent, and the importance of investing of yourself.

Click the link below to listen!

derekfeltonandkevinbracy.mp3

American Idol Contestant: Exhausted All of His Options?

So I'm watching American Idol a few days ago and one of the contestants is voted off the show by the judges. There is always a wannabe singer who acts a fool when she's dissed by Simon Cowell. But, this one guy said, after he got the boot, "What am I going to do next with my life? I can't believe I didn't make it to the next round!" If you would have seen his audition you would've been surprised that he made it as far as he did. But, that's another story. Moving on...

Come to find out, the singer who was having a fit over not making it is only 21 years old. I'd say he has plenty of time to figure out what he's "going to do next." For entertainers, speakers, writers, cops, and just about anything else, there's always more than one way to achieve your goals. For a singer, American Idol is just one of hundreds of ways to make a living as a vocalist.

One of my friends is an actor who has uncovered a gazillion outlets that let her pursue her passion. She has appeared in movies, TV shows, plays, commercials, a "live" CD; created a theater company, acted in live Internet broadcasts, and currently, she's on a luxury cruise ship in Europe performing nightly shows. On top of that, she told me that if she didn't get another gig, she would become a teacher and coach others to theatrical glory.

When you think you've gotten to the point where you're ready to raise the white flag of surrender, ask this question: Have I exhausted all of my options? You see, if there's more that you can do, if there are more opportunities out there, then you owe it to yourself to seek them out.

Other questions to consider are: How badly do I want this? Am I really committed to this journey? What am I willing to sacrifice for this endeavor? Can I live with the sacrifices I may have to make?

It's often in the very process of achieving goals that we forfeit our victory. The danger in giving up too soon is that we never arrive at the place we're supposed to be. Decide today to pursue your dreams with all the energy you have. As my coaches used to tell me, "Leave everything you have on the field today!" Don't give up when you still have something to give! The best is yet to come!

How to Stand Out at Work

Me and a friend were talking about work yesterday during MLK day. It's amazing how even on holidays when you're supposed to be chillin' "the office" comes up. Anyway, we were discussing what makes a person a superstar at work.

There are may factors that go into it: working somewhere that values your ideas, staying away from gossip, having a supervisor who understands her team member's talents, actually doing work that you're good at, and having the desire to stand out. It also helps if you stay at a job longer than a month!

So if you're looking to get a raise, earn a promotion, get a letter of recommendation to graduate school, or even transfer to a new department as smoothly as possible, here's a list of things I thought might help you:

1. Do work that floats your boat. There is no substitute for actually being passionate about your chosen field. I spent the first 4 years after I graduated from college searching for something that would excite me. No wonder why I was ready to quit almost every job I had less than two months into it.

2. Come with some original ideas. Yeah you can simply sit and wait for your boss to give you something to do. You can also be the best team player in the world. But, if you don't come with some spine-tingling ideas that get you and your boss excited, you'll constantly see other people getting promoted ahead of you.

3. Speak up. Being the cool, quiet person at work who you don't hear a peep from all day might be okay if you're a librarian. But, this rarely gets you anywhere in a corporate setting. Have something relevant to say in meetings; when you see problems, fix them and let your supervisor know.

4. Keep a record of your accomplishments. Yes, your boss saw you take the initiative to change the water cooler. But, what else have you done that you can document? If you helped organize an important event or if your activity has increased your company's sales, make a detailed note of it in your files. When it comes time for your review you'll have a complete dossier of all the good you've done that year.

Do these simple steps and you'll be raking in the dough and movin' on up in no time!